The findings, as you can see above, aren’t that surprising: California, New York, Illinois, Ohio and Texas are the top-five winningest individual Olympic gold medal states, as they’re also seven of the most populated. What is surprising is the lack of Southern states in the top ten (unless, of course, your definition of Southern includes Maryland). Georgia, Alabama and Florida all squeeze into the top 15, while Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia all make the top 20.

Since this graphic includes Winter Olympic wins as well, the Rust Belt and Mid-Atlantic states’ dominance makes sense. The graph also only takes into account individual wins, so team sports medalists aren’t represented.

Take heart, “SEC Speed” adherents: states in Southeastern Conference territory absolutely dominate when it comes to All Stars in professional football, basketball and baseball. SEC universities also spend 12 times as much on their athletes as their regular students.

Plus, Olympic glory might be overrated anyways. It only comes once every two years.

Take heart, “SEC Speed” adherents: states in Southeastern Conference territory absolutely dominate when it comes to All Stars in professional football, basketball and baseball. SEC universities also spend 12 times as much on their athletes as their regular students.

This is why American students rank in the bottom half of global academic testing scores. SMH.

But it makes sense that Southerners don’t participate in international events. They’re all about ‘Murica, after all… Why waste time learning how to play the same sports as them mamby-pamby foreigners, right? Raaaht. *spits tobacco into a tin can*